Governor appoints 3 to N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission

Chairman’s seat goes to commercial fisherman

Gov. Pat McCrory has announced the appointment of three new members of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, including Paul Rose, a commercial fisherman, who will become the group’s chairman.

McCrory was not bound by law to select a commercial fisherman as chairman but as a normal progression the governor does not name back-to-back chairmen of the same persuasion. Outgoing chairman Rob Bizzell held an at-large seat.

McCrory also named Charles “Chuck” Laughridge of Harkers Island, and Mark Gorges, a fishing guide from Wilmington, to seats on the nine-member Commission.

Leaving the commission will be Bizzell, Dr. Chris Elkins of Chapel Hill – who occupied a recreational seat – and Bradley Styron of Elizabeth City, a commercial fishermen and seafood dealer who owns Quality Seafood.

Laughridge, an N.C. State graduate, is co-owner of the N.C. Waterman Website and a member of the Board of Directors of the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina. He was co-founder of the Roanoke Valley Striped Bass Coalition, which helped shape public opinion to save striped bass in the river from pollution threats and overfishing and also helped stop the construction of a paper mill near Weldon in the late 1990s.

“I’ve already passed my SEI (Statement of Economic Interests), and effective Friday at 4 p.m., my resignation from the Coastal Conservation Assocation of North Carolina board was accepted, so my updated SEI will reflect that,” said Laughridge, 59.

Commercial-fishing advocates have suggested that Laughridge consider shutting down the N.C. Waterman Web site or cut his financial ties to the site, which is a popular support of saltwater resources conservation. They said a potential conflict of interest may exist because Laughridge derives profits from advertisements placed at the Web site and in the past has criticized the Commission for allowing commercial fishermen on the Commission to vote for policies from which they personally profited.

Rose, the new chairman has been on the Southern flounder advisory committee.